"His eyes are upon all the ways of the fons of men, to give to every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."

Confider this, ye that forget God; ye that profane his name, and violate his laws. Let the man, who takes advantage of his neighbour's ignorance to practife upon him the arts of deceit, or of his weakness, to opprefs and injure him; let the man, who in fecret dares to plunder the fatherless and widow, to betray his truft, or to commit actions which he would have been afraid or afhamed to expose to the public eye, remember that there is an eye which he cannot escape; that he is feen and condemned by a Being who is too wife and righteous to connive at iniquity, and who hath declared, that though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished. If the worst of men are under fome kind of restraint in the presence of perfons emi

6

nent

nent for wisdom and goodnefs, what a powerful check would it be upon all criminal actions, could men be univerfally engaged to confider themselves as in the prefence of the Almighty, and in every season of temptation to reflect, "How fhall I do this great wickedness and fin against God?"-On the other hand, what greater encouragement to uprightnefs and integrity can be fuppofed, than a firm perfuafion of the immediate and perpetual presence of "the righteous Lord, who loveth righteousness?" If the hope of gaining the esteem of wife and good men infpires every generous mind with a defire of excelling, what may not be expected from the noble ambition of being approved and honoured by the Supreme Judge and Rewarder of merit?-Let this important truth then, fo frequently employ our meditations, as to become to us a conftant and powerful spring of action, that under its influence VOL. I.

C

we

we may abstain from every vice and cul

tivate every virtue.

Laftly, Having fecured the approbation of the Almighty by living in all good confcience before him, let us derive, from the doctrine of his univerfal prefence, comfort under all the changes and troubles. of human life. God, the eternal guardian and friend of the righteous, is ever near unto them, to do them good: his power is their fupport, his wifdom their guide, and his goodness their confolation. Whatever afflictions befall them, they may be affured, that they are not forfaken by that great Being, who can cause all things to work together for good. In whatever part of the world their lot may be caft, they are ftill under the protection of God: if they go beyond the utmoft fea, even there will his hand lead them, and "his right hand uphold them." If it should ever happen, that their character fhould be traduced, their

fincerity

fincerity questioned, and their actions and motives mifrepresented: if it should even happen, that they should be defamed and perfecuted for their adherence to truth and to confcience, they may fupport themselves under this painful trial by reflecting, that the Almighty fees and approves their conduct. In the thickest gloom of adverfity, when they are leaft able to difcern the wifdom and kindness of the Divine appointments concerning them, and are ready to fay, with Job, "Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive him; on the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him; he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot fee him :" even at fuch feafons the upright and virtuous may confole themselves with the thought, that they are in the prefence, and under the direction of the wifeft and beft of Beings, who, in the darkest difpenfations of his providence, is pursuing the most merciful deC 2 figns.

figns. Let thofe, then, whofe hearts are upright before God, fuppress their fears and banish their cares, and, through an humble faith in his ever present aid, endure with patience and fortitude the burdens of mortality. Under all the evils which they either fuffer or apprehend, let them fay, "God is my refuge and ftrength, a prefent help in trouble; therefore will I not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the fea;" fea ;"- "I have fet the Lord always before me; because he is at my righthand, I fhall not be moved."

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